Revolutionary musical ‘Head Over Heels’ makes Queensland premiere

It’s time to feel the beat! The groundbreaking queer musical comedy, Head Over Heels, will premiere in Ipswich in a month, from 31 May at the Ipswich Civic Centre for a limited season.

A bold, joyous musical that celebrates love in all its forms, Head Over Heels is set to the beat of iconic 1980s all-female rock band The Go-Go’s, and features timeless hits like “We Got The Beat”, “Our Lips Are Sealed” and lead-singer Belinda Carlisle’s “Heaven Is A Place On Earth”.

This high-energy revival marks the first time Head Over Heels will rock the stage in Queensland, bringing with it a wave of nostalgia, joy and an all-Queensland cast.

Henry Kafoa (Once On This Island, tick tick… boom!, A Night At The Musicals) takes the throne as King Basilius with Aurelie Roque (A Very Naughty Christmas, Top Girls, 35MM: A Musical Exhibition) by his side as Queen Gynecia. The royal lineage continues with the confident Pamela, played by Erika Naddei who recently appeared on stage in Bananaland for Brisbane Festival. Ella Macrokanis (SBS’ Safe Harbour, Broadway In The Dock) takes on Pamela’s sister, the adventurous Philoclea.

Fresh off his tour of Dog Man: The Musical, Josh Whitten joins as the bumbling advisor Dametas, with William Kasper (recent graduate of Queensland Academy of Excellence in Musical Theatre) as the romantic shepherd, Musidorus, and Nykita O’Keeffe (Les Miserables, The Hunchback of Notre Dame) as the servient Mopsa.

Meanjin-based drag superstar, Freya Armani, will make a special appearance in the role of Phythio.
Rounding out the Arcadian kingdom is the extremely talented ensemble cast including Ally Hickey, Bella Gordon, Chloe Kiloh, Hannah Clark, Jaya Fisher-Smith, Nathaniel Savy, Peter Wood, Sam Caruana, and Rae Rose.

Head Over Heels is produced by Ipswich Civic Centre and THAT Production Company with Mira Ball Productions. It has music and lyrics by The Go-Go’s, is based upon ‘The Arcadia’ by Sir Philip Sidney, and was conceived with an original book by Jeff Whitty and adapted by James Magruder.

The exuberant production will be directed by Timothy Wynn, with choreography by Jennifer B Ashley, and musical direction by Nicholas House.

Head Over Heels tells the hilarious and heartwarming story of a royal family on an outrageous journey to save their beloved kingdom from extinction – only to discover the key to their survival lies within each of their own hearts.

Get ready to groove to the beat of your heart as this epic Broadway hit gets set to rock this town!

Tickets for ‘Head Over Heels’ are on sale now.

For more information about the show or to purchase tickets, visit Ipswich Civic Centre’s website.